What links a local gas network, an NHS trust and a rugby club?
Employees from all three took positive action last week to show their support for people living with dementia.
Engineers from Cadent joined with
Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and
Widnes Vikings in a super-session to enlist an extra 150 ‘Dementia Friends’.
Dementia Friends is an
Alzheimer’s Society initiative which provides short information sessions to anyone and everyone. It offers insight into dementia and how small actions can reap huge rewards. A big milestone was reached last week as the number of ‘Dementia Friends’ passed three million.
The growing ‘army’ now includes 150 people who attended the session delivered by district nurse Margaret Grundy at the Trust’s annual Staff Awards and AGM, at Halton Stadium.
Bridgewater, which provides community health and dental services in Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester, invited Cadent as it knew it had a
long-standing link with Alzheimer’s Society. Some 3,337 of our Cadent colleagues have attended Dementia Friends sessions since 2017.
Jenny Moten, Director of Cadent’s North West network, said: “Cadent is on a journey to become a dementia friendly utility so we can support our customers who are either living with dementia – we know that’s at least 89,000 people in the North West alone – or care for someone who is.
“We can’t take the dementia away, but we can help reduce the worry, particularly relating to gas in the home.
“Our three-year partnership with Alzheimer’s Society is a huge help in educating our teams and in giving practical support – like
fitting free locking cooker valves – that keeps our customers safe and independent in their homes.
“It’s great to join with local organisations who are clearly on the same page – like Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Widnes Vikings – in raising awareness and expanding the growing ‘army’ of Dementia Friends.”
Margaret has now delivered Dementia Friends information sessions to over 900 people after receiving a little extra training to be a ‘Champion’. She said: “Whether you attend a
face-to-face Information Session or
watch the online video, Dementia Friends is about learning more about dementia and the small ways you can help. From telling friends about the Dementia Friends programme to visiting someone you know living with dementia, every action counts.”